Peltola calls Alaska ballot case 'nonsense' as governor warns certification could halt

Alaska's Senate race was thrown into open conflict on Thursday when Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered a state investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign and said the state's election certification could be affected. Peltola's legal team responded that the Justice Department's accusations are "nonsense" ¹³.

At issue is a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot. The New York Times reported that Peltola's campaign helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher, to run against incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, in an alleged effort to confuse voters ¹³. Peltola has denied involvement ¹.

On tapeThe Hill · Oct 30

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The Justice Department last week sued to block Alaska from certifying the result if Sen. Sullivan loses, citing alleged "voter confusion." An amended filing Thursday described the situation as a conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process ¹. New grand jury subpoenas were issued Thursday, the Associated Press reported, citing a person briefed on the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity ¹².

Peltola: 'I knew nothing'

Peltola addressed the matter directly at a speech in a downtown bar in Juneau, the state capital. "I just want to clear the air," she said Thursday. "I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters" ².

From Channel GOPPeltola: Tariffs doubled Alaska air taxi's parts billMary Peltola · 142 plays · captioned, with the source named

Her campaign told Newsweek: "The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign" ¹. In a court filing, her team said the Justice Department "points fingers at Alaskans for Mary and DSCC to distract from its own misconduct in this case" ¹. The DSCC is the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Dunleavy told NewsNation, "If we find out there's wrongdoing, and if that means that the certification then is stopped or changed, then that's what happens." Asked whether that was a legitimate possibility, he said, "Depending upon the outcomes of this investigation, yes" ³.

On tapeCBS News · Oct 29

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The governor also said: "This strikes to the heart of election integrity. You can't just dismiss what could be a ruse that could throw an election" ³.

Is it a crime?

It is not clear that recruiting a same-name candidate violates any criminal law. Newsweek reported that ballot stacking is not illegal at the federal level, and state authorities have not publicly established that it is a crime by itself ¹. Alaska lawyer Scott Kendall, a former GOP operative, told The Hill that such tactics can be a nasty, dirty trick driven by bad motives, but that according to the Alaska Supreme Court, which is empowered to interpret Alaska law, it is not illegal ³.

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in late June that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. could remain on the ballot, and a Superior Court judge had earlier found election officials could not impose a good faith requirement on candidates ¹³. Michael Morley, a Florida State University law professor, told Newsweek the Justice Department's lawsuit is completely meritless ¹.

Sen. Sullivan's campaign spokesperson Nate Adams said previously: "Mary Peltola and her campaign have spent months gaslighting Alaskans, denying a scheme they were running all along" ¹.

Peltola has led in polls this month by narrow margins, and a win would give Democrats one of the four seats they need to take the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority ¹. President Trump told reporters: "It's hard to believe that she could even be allowed to run" ².

That matters because the fight now runs on two tracks — a federal lawsuit and a state criminal investigation — with the governor saying the certification of a Senate result could be halted or altered after voters cast ballots ¹³.

The Record

1. Jun 29, 2026The Alaska Supreme Court upheld a ruling ordering Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. onto the primary ballot ¹.
2. Oct 29, 2026Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into Peltola's campaign and the Justice Department issued new grand jury subpoenas ¹³.
3. Oct 29, 2026Peltola told a Juneau crowd she 'knew nothing' about the other candidate, and Dunleavy said certification could be stopped or changed ²³.

Sources

1. Newsweek, “Peltola Calls Alaska Drama Nonsense as Governor Issues Certification Warning” (2026-10-30). newsweek.com/peltola-calls-alaska-drama-nonsense-as-governor
2. The Guardian, “Alaska Democrat says she ‘knew nothing’ about effort to put two Dan Sullivans on ballot” (2026-10-30). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/30/alaska-democrat-senate-m
3. The Hill, “Alaska governor: Election certification 'could be stopped' due to Peltola probe” (2026-10-30). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6182999-alaska-election-verifi

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